U20145 CULTURE AND CARE INTRODUCTION This module examines care as one of the most fundamental adaptive strategies for human survival and social flourishing, providing a counterpoint to anthropological accounts that focus on conflict, friction, and violence. The central claim that we will investigate and question over the course is that care has been fundamental to the enhancement of human biosocial evolution and continues to be central as we consider ways to enhance our future. Though fundamental (or because it is fundamental) care has taken on a variety of cultural meanings, structuring social relations from the intimate to the global. Who is deserving of care? When does care of another supersede self-care? Do I have a right to care? Does this right include a right to sex or death? Some of the most important questions about human wellbeing revolve around care. Ethical debates about how to treat socially marginal, non-productive, and vulnerable groups (the sick and disabled, the elderly, children, orphans, immigrants and displaced persons, etc.), for example, depend on deeply invested cultural norms and assumptions surrounding care; if we are to join these debates, we need to be able to critically examine the idea, practice, and felt experience of care. This course begins by examining the evolution of our uniquely human capacity for care, including the neurobiological, emotional, and social adaptations that support empathy and cooperation. Next, we look at moral and ethical dimensions of care as expressed rituals of religious devotion and healing. Third, we look at modern caring institutions and how care has become linked to citizenship, education and welfare. We will look critically at these institutions with particular attention to care related to sex, aging, and death. While the focus of the course will be on human care relationships, we will also briefly touch on the potentials for care and the enhancement of life to be extended to non-human animals and the natural environment. LEARNING OUTCOMES o Come to understand and synthesize care from a variety of perspectives (bio, social, cultural, psych) in anthropology o Be able to observe, describe and critically evaluate care behaviors, feelings, and structures o Gain an understanding of the practice of care across different societies and one’s own society o Participate in current social debates on care from an informed and reflective perspective MODULE LEADER Module Leader: Jason Danely Gibbs 5.05 x3975 [email protected] Office hours posted online Other Contributors TBD ORGANISATION OF THE MODULE U20145 Culture and Care Module handbook There is a weekly slot of three hours, from 1-4pm Wednesday. Each week will address a different theme. There are 12 sessions of the module. Discussion The purpose of our discussions is not to give a definitive set of facts or answers, but to outline the scope of the topic, pose relevant questions for consideration, and touch upon areas of controversy. Each week there will be 2-3 seminar leaders who will be responsible for highlighting the main points of the assigned key readings and encouraging interest in the subject. That said, your enjoyment of the discussions will largely depend on your own initiative. It is important to attend regularly and engage in our discussions and debates, keep up withe the readings, and prepare your own questions and critiques. Depending on the topic, we may split up into smaller groups to facilitate discussion or debate. ASSESSMENT There will be no exam. All of the assessments will focus on your attentiveness and reflection on real world situations and your ability to clearly and concisely communicate this. The synthetic essay and blogpost both require demonstrating an ability to combine your thoughts with the arguments and evidence presented in the scholarly literature on a topic. Students will be assessed on the basis of four writing assignments: 50% fieldwork observation-based structured report on a ‘care environment’ (1000 words) 30% report 10% presentation 20% synthetic essay that looks at data gathered in fieldwork and uses to scholarly literature to interpret and analyze findings 30% 1000 word blogpost commentary on a current global social issue on care (a portion of this grade may includes points for peer review and commentary) 10% ‘care journal’ to collect and share reflections on personal experiences and acts of care, or responses to events, exhibitions, lectures, etc. that deal with care Fieldwork reports, synthetic essays and blog commentaries will be uploaded to Turnitin/Grademark to ensure that student work is original and on time. Students will receive feedback through this system either as written or recorded voice feedback. Students are expected to notify the module leader to make alternative arrangements should these be necessary. Care journals will be handed in as hard copies in class. All journal entries should be placed se Fieldwork Report: 50% of total mark. For this assignment, students will work in alone, in pairs or as small groups to conduct at least 4 hours of ethnographic observation in an environment where two or more people are involved in acts of caring. This could be a church, a clinic, a barbershop, a care home, a school, volunteer activities, and the like. For this assignment you cannot use solely observations of humans caring for objects or non- human animals (someone in their garden, e.g.). Feel free to push the limits of the stereotypical definitions or images of ‘care,’ but be aware that you will be expected to compare your data with other scholarly work on care in anthropology and relate it to the theme of ‘enhancing life’. 2 U20145 Culture and Care Module handbook All students must notify the module leader and gain permission from the leader and any other relevant persons in the care environment before beginning their observation. Ethical guidelines must be observed and agreement forms must be signed if students collect personal information (interviews etc). Students begin thinking about what kind of project they would like to do right away and will write a short synopsis of their plan by week 4. We will do a group critique (similar to an art critique) of our plans in week 4 (although fieldwork may have already commenced by this point). This will be a way for students to learn about each other’s projects and to get ideas for their own projects. Fieldwork should be completed by week 6. Students will compile notes and use them to complete a structured report (see appendix), including descriptions of the physical environment; the behaviors/interactions observed; the people and their relationships with each other; communicative strategies; symbolic and culture-specific behaviors. Students must also include at least 500 words of ethnographic “thick description” of a single care act as they observed it. Finally, a self and group evaluation will be collected. Grades will be individual. The deadline for the report is Week , 9 (after Easter break). You must submit your report on- line through Turnitin on Moodle Care Journal As we read and discuss what it means to enhance life through care in different contexts around the world, it is also important to realize that we are caring and being cared for as well. Your experience of this class benefits from practicing a reflexive sensitivity to care, be it helping an older person step out of a taxi, giving directions to a lost tourist, or watching over a three-year old nephew. Some of you might have opportunities to care in special ways through your place of work, your religious group, or through a variety of family or personal situations, and these are also potential sources of reflection. Journals (informal, first-person narratives) should be kept of your experiences of care (something you did or saw in person). Each entry should be at least 150 words, and all students should make at least 3 entries. Total word count over the course should be between 800-900 words. Students should upload their journals to Moodle. This will be private from other students, but not the instructor. Student who complete the assignment (at least 800 words focused on care) on time will receive full credit for this portion of the assessment. At least one new journal entry must be posted by the end of weeks 2, 5, 8 (students cannot, for example write all their entries before week 5, nor should they wait until week 8 to write any entries. You could, however, write three entries before week 2 (450 words), one more before week 5 (600 total), and one more before week 8 (850 total), for example. All journals will be assessed as credit/no credit based on the care that you put into them. If you are off- topic or too careless with your writing, you may not receive credit for that entry. Blog commentary Many of you get your news and views from blogs. These are typically short, informative, and often present the author’s point of view backed up by evidence. 3 U20145 Culture and Care Module handbook You will write a 700-900 word blog entry related to a current events topic of your choice. The topic should be global in scope (inter-ethnic conflict, climate change, welfare reform, global health inequality, child trafficking e.g.), although you may also use related local examples. Your blog must highlight the contribution that thinking anthropologically can have to address the issue you choose by citing at least 3 academic sources. Examples will be made available prior to writing the assignment and writing tips will be discussed in class. Please remember! Late submission of your coursework without a valid reason submitted and approved via the mitigating circumstances application process will result in a mark of zero for that component of the course.